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A longstanding powerhouse has fallen, big names have faltered, and longshots have transformed into legitimate title threats.

As noted by experienced analyst Cris Collinsworth, "this is the most unusual year I can remember in the NFL."

The playoff field is set with 14 teams, marking the first time in over a decade that the Kansas City Chiefs are not participating.

Philadelphia, the reigning titleholders, have looked more vulnerable, and clubs such as Buffalo, considered favorites before the season, have underwhelmed.

However, in a rare statistical twist, 11 of the 14 playoff teams secured at least 11 victories during the regular season, a feat achieved only twice in the past 35 years.

Setting a new mark, five franchises made the postseason after dreadful prior campaigns, featuring New England and Chicago's remarkable jumps from the basement to division champions.

"If you ask me to pick a favourite, I don't know, because you can put something on all of them," Collinsworth added.

"It's going to be amazing to watch these young quarterbacks go at it because I don't know what they will do. This is when legends begin to be built."

The Mechanics of the NFL Postseason

A field of 14 clubs competes in the playoffs, comprising seven squads from the AFC and seven from the NFC.

A twelve-game, single-elimination bracket over three weeks keeps AFC and NFC teams apart, culminating in the conference champions facing off in Super Bowl 60.

Home-field benefit goes to the better seed each round, and the number one seeds, Denver and Seattle, automatically advance past the initial Wildcard Weekend.

The top seeds enter in the Divisional Round. Victors in the Conference Championships, which serve as Super Bowl semifinals, advance to the championship at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium.

Seattle and Denver could potentially recreate their 2014 Super Bowl meeting, a game Seattle won handily, though Denver triumphed at Levi's Stadium in the 2016 championship.

An Unprecedentedly Open Path to the AFC Title

The postseason will proceed without Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, a playoff constant until now, marking a significant shift.

Furthermore, this year's Super Bowl will be the first since 2019 not to include either Mahomes or Cincinnati's Joe Burrow.

With recent MVPs Mahomes and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) also out, the AFC playoff field lacks its recent dominant forces, creating a void for new contenders.

This scenario creates a wide-open AFC Championship race, offering a chance for emerging stars like Denver's Bo Nix and New England's Drake Maye to etch their names in playoff lore.

Since 2016, only three franchises have won the AFC Championship, and none of those teams' players from their last title remain.

The AFC's number one seed, Denver, has barely played in the postseason lately, and Pittsburgh joins them as the only current AFC playoff teams with Super Bowl experience in the last 30 years.

The AFC does feature established quarterbacks such as Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Buffalo's Josh Allen, whose playoff experience might prove decisive against the influx of youth.

The Leading Contenders for the Championship and MVP Award

The NFC boasts more recent playoff pedigree, with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or San Francisco appearing in seven of the last eight Super Bowls.

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have essentially been in playoff mode for weeks, battling Seattle in the fiercely competitive NFC West.

Seattle won the NFC West with 14 victories, carrying a seven-game win streak into the playoffs following critical late-season wins over its division foes.

Winning the NFC's number one seed makes Seattle marginal Super Bowl favorites, slightly edging the 12-5 Rams, whose passer Matthew Stafford leads the MVP conversation.

The 37-year-old Stafford, a Super Bowl winner with the Rams in 2022, seeks his first MVP award and is currently favored over New England's promising second-year QB, Drake Maye.

The development of Maye, aided by head coach Mike Vrabel, has been central to the Patriots' remarkable turnaround from four wins to fourteen.

In Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams has also prospered with a new head coach, Ben Johnson, transforming the Bears into an 11-win team and the NFC's second seed.

Schedule for Wildcard Weekend

All times are in GMT

Saturday, 10 January

Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams (21:30)

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (01:00 Sunday)

Sunday, 11 January

Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills (18:00)

The 49ers take on the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles (21:30)

New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers (01:00 Monday)

Monday, 12 January

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers (01:00 Tuesday)

Key Storylines for Wildcard Weekend

The Rams begin Wildcard Weekend in Carolina, a team that made history by reaching the playoffs with a losing 8-9 record after stumbling to the NFC South title.

Los Angeles must play away, but quarterback Matthew Stafford led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, with receiver Puka Nacua posting a career-high 1,715 receiving yards.

Green Bay's momentum was stalled by late-season injuries, but they will have quarterback Jordan Love back for just the third playoff game in the NFL's oldest rivalry.

Winning the NFC North was an achievement for Chicago, but the Bears now aim to prevent a three-game losing streak from ending their playoff run abruptly.

In the NFC's other wildcard game, a banged-up San Francisco squad travels to face Philadelphia, the defending champions who rested players after locking up the NFC East.

Buffalo's Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, hopes to finally reach the Super Bowl, but the Bills must travel to Jacksonville, a team riding an eight-game winning streak.

{New England aims to avoid an upset at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, whose quarterback Justin Herbert seeks his first playoff win in his sixth season.|The Patriots hope to defend their home field against the Chargers, as LA's quarterback Justin Herbert looks for his inaugural postseason victory in year six.|At home, New England tries to stave off the Chargers, with Justin Herbert attempting to secure his first career playoff